Google's search toolbar is yielding quick contacts results for some

Another tweak will let you enable Now on Tap even if you don't want to see the stream of Google Now cards.

Google’s search capabilities are always a work in progress on Android, and it appears a couple new tricks have started to make an appearance.

One useful update involves typing a contact’s name into the the home screen search bar. For some, doing so will now provide icons to instantly call, text, or email that individual. A Google+ user shared a screenshot of the new discovery:

Calling, texting, or emailing one of your contacts may soon be a lot quicker. Credit: Google+

I haven’t seen this appear yet on a couple of different Android devices as of Monday (a Galaxy S7 Edge and Nexus 7), so it could be an A/B test or just slowly rolling out to everyone.

Another change that is more widely available is that you can enable Google Now on Tap even if you’re not using the Now cards. Now on Tap and Now cards are two separate entries in the Google app’s settings, which now gives you a bit more customization choice.

Even if you don’t want Google Now cards, you can still use Now on Tap.

Why this matters: Google’s search capabilities on Android are always in flux, so you kind of have to expect such subtle changes to come at you frequently. The good news is you don’t have to wait for an Android system update to see this, as we all know those can be slow and unpredictable (but hey, we tell you what gets updated every week!).